The Traitor
by AK-47
Summary: It is said that Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned. What happens when Zuko realizes that his father doesn't love him and that his nation despises him? What happens when he declares war on the Fire Nation?
1. Prologue

**The Traitor**

Zuko realized that his father didn't love him three weeks after his thirteenth birthday. At the time, he'd been shocked at this epiphany and would have sworn it came out of nowhere. Much later, when he was able to look at his situation with a clarity afforded by distance, Zuko would admit to himself that his doubts and fears had been steadily accumulating beforehand. Zuko's epiphany fell upon him not as a bolt of lightning, but instead was more like a dam that had steadily eroded before one day bursting. To the people living below the dam, the explosion would be a surprise, but had any of them visited the dam regularly then they would have seen the cracks and leaks that were steadily growing.

Like the dam, Zuko's love for his father seemed indestructible, as did his love for the Fire Nation. Zuko would have gladly died for his father and for his people. If it is sweet and fitting to die for one's country, how much more fitting would it be if your father was also your nation's leader? But like the dam, Zuko's love was unnatural. It is not in the nature of a river to be dammed and it is not in the nature of a monster to be loved.

Over the years, there had been many incidents that had steadily eroded Zuko's loyalty to the Fire Lord. However, each one only spurred Zuko into becoming more fervent in denying his doubts. Perhaps his father liked his sister Azula more, but that was only because she was a better firebender. If Zuko improved, then surely his father would quickly approve of him. Perhaps the Fire Lord was impatient at Zuko's merciful nature, but it was actually Zuko's fault for being weak. If he became stronger, surely his father would accept him. Surely his father would love him.

But there is only so much that one person can endure; only so many lies that one person can tell himself. The caterpillar does not know it is becoming a butterfly, but day by day the changes accumulate until one day a new being emerges. Like the caterpillar, Zuko moved unknowingly to his fate. Like the caterpillar, Zuko's change came upon him suddenly. Like the caterpillar, Zuko devoured his old self to create his new self.

And so, after inadvertently insulting his father in public, after unknowingly challenging his father's callous disregard for the lives of his soldiers, after discovering that he was to duel his lord and father, after begging for forgiveness that did not exist, after being mutilated by his own father, after experiencing firsthand the mercy of the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation – in short, after having every cherished belief destroyed before his own eyes – Zuko stopped being Zuko.

The Crown Prince entered the dueling grounds, but afterwards he did not spend three days holding back cries of pain. He did not listen to his sister gravely deliver news of his banishment while mocking him with her eyes. He was not given the impossible task of finding the Avatar, a person who had not been seen in a hundred years. He did not silently listen while Uncle Iroh offered his help, did not stew in bitter rage while his ship crossed the oceans and did not stare with burning eyes at the Earth Kingdom port they had docked at.

The Crown Prince entered the dueling grounds, but it was the Blue Spirit who left. It was the Blue Spirit who took first one step down the gangplank then another, away from the Fire Lord, away from Uncle, and away from the Fire Nation. It was the Blue Spirit who stepped off the ship towards the Earth Kingdom, who stepped forward towards the future, towards vengeance, towards destiny.


	2. Chapter 1

What a great place! The Freedom Fighters had an awesome hideout and everyone here was the best! Aang laughed as he watched his new friends talking and having fun around the dinner table. It was great being around so many people his age, and for a brief second he recalled being at the Southern Air Temple again with all of the Airbender novices. Of course, the Southern Air Temple had only been this much fun before he'd found out he was the Avatar, before his friends had started to avoid him, before the Fire Nation – Aang quickly changed his thoughts to another subject.

His new friends and his less-new friends looked to be getting along well. Katara especially was hitting it off with Jet, the leader of the Freedom Fighters. Then again, she got on well with everyone. She was just great that way.

Suddenly he heard happy shouts of surprise and turned to see an older boy in a rice farmer's conical straw hat being led to the dinner table by a group of younger Freedom Fighters. His guides were all shouting questions at him. "Lee's back! What adventures have you had, Lee?" "How many Fire Nation soldiers did you take out, Lee?" "Did you bring us anything, Lee?"

"Welcome back, Lee!" shouted Jet. "Now we've got another reason to celebrate. Come on guys, clear a space and let's get some food into him!"

Jet's followers led him to the head of the table to sit with Jet, placing him with Aang's group as well. Lee took off his hat as he sat down beside Aang, and the young Airbender tried not to stare as he saw the burn scar covering the left part of Lee's face.

"What are you celebrating, Jet? Is this a welcome feast for your new recruits?" asked Lee as he indicated Aang and his friends.

"Oh no, we're only passing through," said Katara. "We're happy to help Jet and everyone while we're here, though."

"You see Lee, we're celebrating a victory over a Fire Nation patrol group. We won with the help of these guys," said Jet. "These are Katara and Sokka from the Southern Water Tribe. Katara's a waterbender and Sokka's a great fighter. That little guy flying around is Momo. And this—" here Jet paused dramatically, "—is Aang, the Avatar."

Lee set down the bowl of rice he'd been holding to his mouth. "Really," he said calmly, though it was obvious from the way he'd stiffened up that he'd been rather shocked at the news. He was probably trying to maintain his macho image as a man of few words.

"Wild, isn't it? I almost freaked out when I saw Aang airbending earlier. We stumbled upon them when they were attacking that Fire Nation patrol I told you about. Guys, this is Lee, he's a scout and spy who takes up with us whenever he's in the neighbourhood. He goes around and helps whatever resistance fighters he can find. I've been trying to recruit him for a while but he like the lone wolf thing too much."

Lee said nothing for a long moment as he calmly considered Aang's group. He stared at Aang for a little while before asking, "Shouldn't you be like a hundred years old?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," added Jet.

"Oh," said Aang in embarrassment, "It's kind of a long story."

"Hey, we're not going anywhere," said Jet while smiling genially at Aang. "Sit back, grab a fruit punch and tell us all about yourself."

Aang gave what he hoped was not a strained smile as he took Jet's suggestion and started his story. Jet made the appropriate noises while Lee simply watched him calmly. There was something a bit off about the scarred boy but Aang couldn't put his finger on it. _Forget it, he's just one of those standoffish types,_ thought Aang. _I'm sure he's perfectly fine once you get to know him._

_

* * *

_

Damn that bastard Jet! The smarmy jerk had convinced Aang and Katara that he was a good guy but Sokka knew better. He was positive that the old man they'd jumped in the forest before had not had a knife. Honestly, how could such an old guy ever be an assassin? He'd done nothing but cower during the entire encounter before Jet and the others had taken off with the guy's stuff. They might have even taken the old man's life if Sokka hadn't been there.

Well, Sokka would just have to get evidence that Jet was a bad guy, which was why he was now following Jet through the woods. What were he and his friends doing carting around barrels of blasting jelly through the forest in the middle of the night? Very suspicious.

Sokka saw Jet and his lieutenants pause in a clearing and talk. He inched forward carefully and eavesdropped. What the hell, they were going to blast the dam and kill everyone in the town just to get the Fire Nation barracks? Those evil jerks, he'd get Katara and Aang and they'd stop this thing.

Suddenly Longshot and Smellerbee came out behind some trees and cornered him. Longshot had his bow nocked and pointed at him while Smellerbee had her knives out; she looked on the verge of saying something clever and gloating when a shadow dropped out of the branches above and knocked the two unconscious. Sokka blinked and in place of the shadow saw Lee, Jet's weird friend with the face.

"Shh," he whispered. Sokka frowned in confusion but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. The two of them carefully snuck away until they were a safe distance from the Freedom Fighters.

Lee started the conversation. "I knew something weird was up, I offered to help Jet with whatever it was he was up to but he said I should just take a load off, it was just the same old stuff and a soldier should know when to rest. Jet must have known I wouldn't stand for his plan. I guess you got suspicious too?"

Sokka nodded wordlessly. "So how do we stop them?"

"There are too many of them escorting the blasting jelly, maybe we could do it if Jet wasn't there but he and I are too evenly matched, that would leave you to fight four against one. Not good odds for anyone."

"Well, they have to split up eventually, right? Jet needs to get Aang and my sister to bend the water and fill up the dam while the others light the explosives when they get the signal."

"Okay, I can take out the explosives crew just in case, why don't you tell your friends what Jet's plan is so they don't help him?"

"I thought about that but they might not believe me without evidence, they really listen to Jet. And his crew might stop me before I get to them anyway."

"Yeah, Jet's a smooth talker. So what are you going to do, then?"

"I'll go down to the town and warn the people to get out."

Lee regarded him with surprise. "Huh, I hadn't thought of that. I like it, very outside the box. But the townspeople might not believe you."

"I've still got to try. Well, good luck with your end."

"You too, see you afterwards." The two exchanged quick nods and left on their respective missions. No way would they let Jet win today.

* * *

"We're striking a blow against the Fire Nation today, Katara. Your brother might have escaped but he can't stand against the crew I sent with the blasting jelly." Katara had frozen Jet to a tree but he still spoke calmly, as if everything was still going according to plan. He made a bird call which was quickly answered, and a flaming arrow shot out over the valley.

"That's the signal, Katara. It's too late now."

"You monster!" Katara drew up even more water to throw at Jet. He ignored her to stare out over the valley. "Why isn't the dam blowing up yet?" he asked in bewilderment.

A boomerang came out of the sky to knock out Longshot and Smellerbee. "Sorry Jet, we took out your little friends," said Sokka as he came down from the sky on Appa. "And I warned the townspeople so your plan would have failed anyway. Face it, you lost."

'We'? Lee was with him! "Lee, how could you help him?" asked Jet in surprise.

Lee jumped down from Appa and helped Aang to his feet. Then he rushed forward and broke Jet's nose. "There's a line, Jet, a line you don't cross. Have you forgotten what you're fighting for?" He looked at Jet in disdain.

"I'm fighting for revenge! I'm fighting to make them bleed! I'm fighting to kill them!" Lee shook his head and turned away.

"Hey Lee, do you need a ride?" asked Sokka. Katara and Aang had joined him on Appa. Lee looked up and considered the trio riding on the sky-bison. "I'm not joining you, I'm getting off at the next town. I don't do the team thing, you've seen what happens."

"I hear you, but we can at least spare you a long walk," answered Sokka.

"Where do you think you're going, Lee?" shouted Jet. "You can't run away from what you are. I've seen you when you're fighting the Fire Nation, you hate them as much as me. You'd do anything to hurt them!"

Lee paused as he started to mount Appa. "I'm Fire Nation, Jet, have you forgotten?" He looked up to see if Sokka still wanted him to climb aboard. Sokka said nothing but just reached down to help him up.

"You were born there, that doesn't make you one of them," continued Jet. "You enjoy fighting them, you enjoy killing them. You're just like me, Lee! Do you hear me?"

Lee and his temporary companions ignored Jet as Appa began to fly away. Jet shouts continued to echo across the valley.

"You can't run from yourself, Lee! You're just like me, do you hear me? You're just like me!"

They flew onwards into the sky. No one said anything for a long time.


	3. Chapter 2

_Interlude - Two Years Earlier (Six Months After Zuko's Banishment)_

The Fire Nation messenger walked unknowingly beneath Zuko's hiding place in the branches of the tree. The man tramped noisily through a pile of dead leaves before catching himself and trying to move more quietly. It really was too easy. What kind of soldier was so inattentive in the midst of potentially hostile territory? And what commander would use someone so inexperienced as a messenger? The man was so clumsy in the forest that it was quite possible he'd slip and break his neck before ever delivering his message. Well, Zuko certainly wasn't complaining. The spirits grant that all of his enemies were so stupid – fighting fair was for suckers.

And speaking of suckers, the messenger had just fallen into the tiger pit Zuko had prepared and hidden beforehand. Throw a blanket over the hole and some dead leaves over the blanket and suddenly you have just another boring piece of dirt. To think that the messenger had looked so happy when he'd discovered the path through the woods. Too bad that Zuko had also discovered the path days ago and had determined that it was mostly used by Fire Nation people.

The messenger's screams made it clear how painful it was to be impaled by the punji sticks inside the pit. The man had been gored through the stomach and had broken his left arm; by some trick of physics (perhaps he had twisted around as he fell?) the soldier had landed face up. Now that his helmet had been knocked off, Zuko realized that the soldier was only a year or so older than him. Practically the same age, really.

Zuko stood over the edge of the pit and looked down at the young soldier. The rookie's eyes were wide open but it was obvious that he was in too much pain to focus on anything in front of him, not even the face of the man who had killed him. After long and presumably agonizing moments where the soldier moaned pitifully, the dying boy slowly realized that Zuko was standing over him.

"Who's there?" croaked the boy. "Please, help me. Get help." Zuko said nothing and continued to watch the soldier. Looking down into the pit, he realized that the soldier was probably the same age that his cousin Lu Ten had been when he'd died. How strange it was to think that he'd almost caught up to the cousin he'd always looked up to.

And just like Lu Ten, this soldier was dying as a loyal son of the Fire Nation. What a ridiculous notion. One might as well die for the sake of a coal pit. In both cases, the death would be equally as useless. A pity that Lu Ten had believed in such tripe.

Zuko, catch up to Lu Ten? Ridiculous. He had already surpassed his cousin. Zuko had made his last sacrifice for the sake of his country. Now it was time to take a little back for himself.

"Water," moaned the soldier. "Please." Zuko blinked in surprise. He'd been lost in thought. Pulling himself out of his mental fog, he stared into the young soldier's eyes. Perhaps the soldier saw something in Zuko's face, for he quickly changed his pleas.

"Death," begged the soldier. "Please." Zuko watched him for a long moment, then turned around and walked away.

"I like your style," said a voice from the trees. Zuko didn't see the speaker for he'd already rolled behind a boulder and pulled his swords out. "Nice reflexes," added the voice. "I'm coming down, okay?"

Zuko had already pinpointed which tree the other person was hiding in. Warily, he watched a figure in mismatched armour jump down and brush itself off. The voice apparently belonged to another teenage boy, one with two hooked swords strapped to his back.

"You hate them, don't you?" asked the stranger. Zuko glanced at the tiger pit, then returned his gaze to the other person. "Hah, guess that was a stupid question." The strange boy leaned back against the tree and crossed his arms in feigned casualness. It was obvious that the stranger was only acting since his eyes stared unblinking at Zuko. "I hate them too."

The stranger's voice had turned cold and hard. If it were possible to be cut by a voice, then that single sentence from the other boy would have torn every member of the Fire Nation to shreds. Then he smiled, and quick as lightning the other boy was now pleasant as a sunny meadow. "It's good to meet another freedom fighter. I've got some friends who wouldn't mind meeting you."

Zuko continued to watch him warily. "I swear we're on the up and up," said the stranger. "Look, why don't I show you our camp? You can at least take a look, can't you?" The stranger noticed that Zuko was still holding his swords tightly in his fists. "Okay, how about you at least put away your swords while we talk? Notice how I haven't touched mine?" Zuko ignored the stranger's suggestion.

The other boy sighed in exasperation. "Fine, I can respect your position. I don't blame you for not trusting some guy you met in the middle of the woods. That's just smart." Zuko said nothing as he regarded the stranger with obvious distrust.

"Man, you're really paranoid, aren't you? We're on the same side here, guy." The other boy sighed again and straightened up. "Look, my friends and I have a hideout less than a day west of here. If you're ever in trouble, if you ever need a place to lie low for a while, feel free to stop by, okay?" Zuko said nothing in reply. "I'll take your silence as a 'maybe'."

Zuko silently watched the other boy walk away. He was about to turn around and walk away himself when the other boy suddenly stopped in his tracks. "By the way, my name's Jet," said the other boy over his shoulder.

"Lee."

"Nice to meet you, Lee."

The two went on their separate ways. Behind them, the Fire Nation soldier had already bled to death.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** To Mishi Gohiku, thanks for the props, I'm glad that you like my fic so much. I promise you, I will never abandon any of my fics. If you want to see my progress, then check out my writing journal linked on my profile, that way you can see what I've been up to (short answer: original fiction). The same thanks goes to all of you who have commented and the silent majority who haven't. I don't like to address people in my fics, I prefer to PM them directly in reply, which is why you don't see too many Author's Notes from me. But don't let that dissuade you from commenting, I enjoy reading what people have to say.


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